German Lubes Major Fuchs Plans 1000 Quick-Lube Shops

German lubricants major Fuchs Petrolub AG, after a six-year low-profile presence in India, is planning to ramp up its operations as part of its new global strategy.

The company, which operates in India through a wholly owned subsidiary, Fuchs Lubricants (India), is now planning to open 1,000 quick-lube centres in the country on a franchisee basis over the next five years.

Michel Behar, executive vice-president (Asia-Pacific) and member of group executive committee, Fuchs Petrolub AG said, "As part of our global strategy, we will be opening about 5,000 branded stores in Asia over the next five years, of which 1,000 will be set up in India. In ten years, we envisage that 5 per cent of our global sales will come from India. We want a 5 per cent market share by the same time."

Fuchs, which had entered India through a joint venture with Balmer Lawrie & Co, a subsidiary of oil marketing PSU IBP, had bought out the latter's stake in the venture last year.

The company will be targeting independent auto service centres, among others, for franchisees and plans to upgrade their facilities in return for branding them as "Fuchs Quick Lube Centres."

The effort is aimed at swaying lube purchase decisions in the company's favour by increasing brand visibility and customer awareness. Castrol India, the other major multinational, is the second-largest lubes company in the country after Indian Oil Corporation.

Fuchs is also planning to launch its Silkolene range of bio-degradable lubricants for two and three-wheelers in September. The Silkolene range comprises of oils for two and four-stroke motorcycles, scooters and auto-rickshaws. At present, the company offers about 400 of its 9,000 overall product range in India. This includes the Titan range of oils for passenger cars and premium oils for underground mining applications, among others.

Following the launch of Silkolene, the company is also planning to introduce its Titan lube range for the truck and cargo-carrier sections in India. Fuchs India, which achieved Rs 23 crore in sales last year, has a lube blending facility in Navi Mumbai.